With the increased popularity of stone slabs for both decorative and utilitarian purposes, it has become advantageous to store the slabs in an efficient, useful structure which provides both access and efficiency of storage. The very weight of the stone slabs causes problems with such access and storage.
It becomes extremely desirable to store the stone slabs in a proper fashion, which maintains access to the slabs, while also providing safe storage. The very hardness of stone slabs mitigates against the proper storage thereof. If the stone slab contacts a hard surface, damage may be done to the slab. If the stone slab contacts a soft surface, the roughness of the edge of the slab mitigates against moving that slab smoothly over that soft surface.
Thus, it is quite useful to provide a storage rack for at least one stone slab. Such a slab has substantial weight. That weight greatly complicates storage and handling. With the complicated storage and handling of the stone slabs, it is, nevertheless, desirable to have a durable rack capable of resisting the stress placed thereon by the heavy stone slabs.
A rack supporting heavy stone slabs or at least one sheet of plate glass, which is also heavy, has difficult requirements. In the first place, such a rack must be strong enough to support the weight. Secondly, such a rack must not cause damage to whatever is resting thereon. To achieve strength, it is common to use a metal rack. However, the metal can damage the item resting thereon.
Glass sheets or at least one sheet of plate glass can also be heavy. For example, a large stone slab may easily weigh more than 500 kilograms. A large glass sheet may easily weigh more than 250 kilograms. Such weight can greatly complicate storage of either.
Various pads designed to achieve the metal strength, while minimizing damage to the items of glass or metal resting thereon can cause difficulty. Such a pad must be supportive, resist damage and be held in place efficiently. These functions are contradictory in that maximization of one desired property will cause the interference of the other desired properties. Clearly, a solution to these problems can provide great advantages.